Absorbent Article Containing a Soft and Durable Backsheet

ABSTRACT

An absorbent article having an outwardly body-facing surface and an outwardly garment-facing surface Is provided. The absorbent article contains a topsheet, backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet. The backsheet contains a nonwoven facing laminated to a film. The nonwoven facing contains a first nonwoven web containing a plurality of fibers formed from a first polyolefin composition and a second nonwoven web containing a plurality of fibers formed from a second polyolefin composition. The first polyolefin composition contains at least one ethylene polymer and the second polyolefin composition contains at least one rigid propylene polymer and at least one ductile propylene polymer. The second nonwoven web defines the garment-facing surface of the article.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/906,544, filed on Nov. 20, 2013, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Absorbent articles, such as diapers, are generally constructed from an absorbent core that is positioned between a liquid-permeable topsheet, which defines a “body-facing” surface disposed toward the body, and a liquid-impermeable backsheet, which defines a “garment-facing” surface disposed away from the body. The backsheet is often formed from a polypropylene nonwoven web that is laminated to a film made from linear low density polyethylene (“LLDPE”). One of the problems with these conventional backsheets, however, is that the polypropylene nonwoven web can be relative rigid in nature and have a rough feel on its surface. Because the LLDPE is generally softer in nature than polypropylene, the backsheet is oriented so that the polypropylene web faces inwardly toward the absorbent core and the LLDPE film defines the garment-facing surface. One of the problems with this configuration, however, is that LLDPE films do not have a cloth-like feel and are not very strong or durable. As such, a need currently exists for a backsheet of an absorbent article that can exhibit a soft and cloth-like feel without a substantial reduction in durability (e.g., abrasion resistance) or strength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an absorbent article having an outwardly body-facing surface and an outwardly garment-facing surface is disclosed. The absorbent article contains a topsheet, backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet. The backsheet contains a nonwoven facing laminated to a film. The nonwoven facing contains a first nonwoven web containing a plurality of fibers formed from a first polyolefin composition and a second nonwoven web containing a plurality of fibers formed from a second polyolefin composition. The first polyolefin composition contains at least one ethylene polymer and the second polyolefin composition contains at least one rigid propylene polymer and at least one ductile propylene polymer. The second nonwoven web defines the garment-facing surface of the article.

Other features and aspects of the present invention are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, which makes reference to the appended FIGURE in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawing is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS Definitions

As used herein, the term “fibers” generally refer to elongated extrudates that may be formed by passing a polymer through a forming orifice, such as a die. Unless noted otherwise, the term “fibers” includes discontinuous fibers having a definite length (e.g., stable fibers) and substantially continuous filaments. Substantially filaments may, for instance, have a length much greater than their diameter, such as a length to diameter ratio (‘aspect ratio’) greater than about 15,000 to 1, and in some cases, greater than about 50,000 to 1.

As used herein the term “nonwoven web” generally refers to a web having a structure of fibers that are interlaid, but not in an identifiable manner as in a knitted fabric. Examples of suitable nonwoven webs include, but are not limited to, meltblown webs, spunbond webs, bonded carded webs, airlaid webs, coform webs, hydraulically entangled webs, and so forth.

As used herein, the term “spunbond” web generally refers to a nonwoven web containing substantially continuous filaments formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material from a plurality of fine, usually circular, capillaries of a spinnerette with the diameter of the extruded fibers then being rapidly reduced as by, for example, eductive drawing and/or other well-known spunbonding mechanisms. The production of spunbond webs is described and illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Apoel, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,992 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,538 to Levy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,400 to Pike, et al.

As used herein, the term “meltblown” web or facing generally refers to a nonwoven web containing fibers formed by a process in which a molten thermoplastic material is extruded through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten fibers into converging high velocity gas (e.g., air) streams that attenuate the fibers of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin. et al.

As used herein, the term “absorbent article” generally refers to any article that is capable of absorbing water or other fluids. Examples of some absorbent articles include, but are not limited to, personal care absorbent articles, such as diapers, training pants, absorbent underpants, incontinence articles, feminine hygiene products (e.g., sanitary napkins), swim wear, baby wipes, mitt wipe, and so forth; medical absorbent articles, such as garments, fenestration materials, underpads, bedpads, bandages, absorbent drapes, and medical wipes; food service wipers; clothing articles; pouches, and so forth. Materials and processes suitable for forming such absorbent articles are well known to those skilled in the art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are set forth below. Each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations.

Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to an absorbent article that contains an absorbent core positioned between a backsheet and a topsheet. The backsheet includes a nonwoven facing laminated to a film. Notably, the present inventors have discovered that through selective control over the particular properties and materials used to form the nonwoven facing, the softness, ductility, and adhesive properties of the facing can all be dramatically improved without having a significant adverse impact on durability and strength. More particularly, the nonwoven facing of the present invention is formed as a composite that includes a first nonwoven web and a second nonwoven web, which may be positioned adjacent to the first nonwoven web.

The first nonwoven web contains a plurality of fibers that are formed from a first polyolefin composition, and the second nonwoven web contains a plurality of fibers that are formed from a second polyolefin composition. The first polyolefin composition includes an ethylene polymer having a relatively low melting temperature and modulus of elasticity, which and can provide a soft feel to a surface of the first nonwoven web. The second polyolefin composition likewise includes a rigid propylene polymer that has a relatively high melting temperature and modulus of elasticity, which can provide good strength and durability to the second nonwoven web. Due to the vastly different melting temperatures of the ethylene polymer and rigid propylene polymer, it is relatively difficult to achieve good bonding between the different nonwoven web layers of the facing. Furthermore, the rigid propylene polymer has a relatively stiff feel, which is not ideal. Nevertheless, despite containing such a rigid, high melting point polymer, the present inventors have surprisingly discovered that, through the use of certain components in the second polyolefin composition, the second nonwoven web can not only achieve good bonding to the first nonwoven web, but it can also have a soft and ductile feel. Namely, the second polyolefin composition contains a ductile propylene polymer in combination with the rigid propylene polymer. Among other things, the ductile propylene polymer can reduce stiffness and increase softness. The ductile polymer can also broaden the window of temperatures at which the second polyolefin composition begins to melt, thereby making it easier to bond the compositions together at a temperature that more closely approximates that of the first polyolefin composition.

One particularly beneficial aspect of the present invention is that the second nonwoven web, which is formed from a propylene-based composition that includes a rigid propylene polymer and ductile propylene polymer, can be positioned so that it defines an outwardly facing surface of the absorbent article. More particularly, the unique properties of the propylene-based composition can allow it to impart a soft and cloth-like feel to an outwardly facing surface, which was conventionally only partially achievable with polyethylene materials (e.g., LLDPE breathable film) and generally not possible with polypropylene materials. Furthermore, contrary to polyethylene materials, the propylene-based second nonwoven web can exhibit an improved degree of abrasion resistance and mechanical strength, making it even better served to define the outwardly facing surface of the absorbent article. In this manner, the second nonwoven web can define the “garment-facing surface” of the absorbent article, which generally refers to an outwardly facing surface of an absorbent article that is intended to be disposed away from the body of a wearer during ordinary use. The surface is typically placed adjacent to the wearer's undergarments when the article is worn.

Various embodiments of the absorbent article of the present invention will now be described in more detail.

I. Backsheet

A. Nonwoven Facing

As indicated above, the first nonwoven web is formed from a first polyolefin composition, which includes an ethylene polymer. Ethylene polymers generally constitute about 80 wt. % or more, in some embodiments about 90 wt. % or more, and in some embodiments, from about 92 wt. % to 100 wt. % of the polymer content of the first polyolefin composition. Of course, the actual amount of such polymers may vary depending on the presence of any optional additives in the composition. Examples of such additives may include, for instance, fillers, pigments, antioxidants, stabilizers (e.g., melt stabilizers, light stabilizers, heat stabilizers, etc.), surfactants, flow promoters, solid solvents, plasticizers, particulates, bonding agents, tackifiers, viscosity modifiers, etc. When employed, additives typically constitute from about 0.001 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 0.01 to about 8 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of the first polyolefin composition. Likewise, ethylene polymers may constitute from about 90 wt,% to about 99.999 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 92 wt. % to about 99.99 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 95 wt. % to about 99.9 wt. % of the first polyolefin composition.

The ethylene polymer typically has a relatively low melting temperature and modulus of elasticity, which can provide the resulting nonwoven web with a relatively soft and ductile feel. For example, the ethylene polymer may have a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 145° C., in some embodiments from about 75° C. to about 140° C., and in some embodiments, from about 100° C. to about 135° C., and a modulus of elasticity of from about 50 to about 700 MPa, in some embodiments from about 75 to about 600 MPa, and in some embodiments, from about 100 to about 500 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10. The melting temperature of the entire first polyolefin composition may likewise range from about 50° C. to about 145° C., in some embodiments from about 75° C. to about 140° C., and in some embodiments, from about 100° C. to about 135° C. The modulus of elasticity of the composition may also range from about 50 to about 700 MPa, in some embodiments from about 75 to about 600 MPa, and in some embodiments, from about 100 to about 500 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10. The ethylene polymer may also have a melt flow index of from about 1 to about 100 grams per 10 minutes, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 50 grams per 10 minutes, and in some embodiments, from about 10 to about 40 grams per 10 minutes, determined at a load of 2160 grams and at 190° C., as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238-13 (or ISO 1133).

Any of a variety of ethylene polymers may generally be employed in the present invention. In one embodiment, for instance, the ethylene polymer may be a copolymer of ethylene and an α-olefin, such as a C₃-C₂₀ α-olefin or C₃-C₁₂ α-olefin. Suitable α-olefins may be linear or branched (e.g., one or more C₁-C₅ alkyl branches, or an aryl group). Specific examples include 1-butene; 3-methyl-1-butene; 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene; 1-pentene; 1-pentene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; 1-hexene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; 1-heptene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; I-octene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; 1-nonene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; ethyl, methyl or dimethyl-substituted 1-decene; 1-dodecene; and styrene. Particularly desired α-olefin comonomers are 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene. The ethylene content of such copolymers may be from about 60 mole % to about 99 mole %, in some embodiments from about 80 mole % to about 98.5 mole %, and in some embodiments, from about 87 mole % to about 97.5 mole %. The α-olefin content may likewise range from about 1 mole % to about 40 mole %, in some embodiments from about 1.5 mole % to about 15 mole %, and in some embodiments, from about 2.5 mole % to about 13 mole %. The density of the polyethylene may vary depending on the type of polymer employed, but generally ranges from about 0.85 to about 0.96 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³). Polyethylene “plastomers”, for instance, may have a density in the range of from about 0.85 to about 0.91 g/cm³. Likewise, “linear low density polyethylene” (LLDPE) may have a density in the range of from about 0.91 to about 0.940 g/cm³; “low density polyethylene” (LDPE) may have a density in the range of from about 0.910 to about 0.940 g/cm³; and “high density polyethylene” (HDPE) may have density in the range of from about 0.940 to about 0.960 g/cm³, such as determined in accordance with ASTM 1505-10. LLDPE may be particularly suitable for use in the first polyolefin composition.

Any of a variety of known techniques may generally be employed to form the ethylene polymer. For instance, olefin polymers may be formed using a free radical or a coordination catalyst (e.g., Ziegler-Natta). Typically, the ethylene polymer is formed from a single-site coordination catalyst, such as a metallocene catalyst. Such a catalyst system produces ethylene polymers in which a comonomer is randomly distributed within a molecular chain and uniformly distributed across the different molecular weight fractions. Metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins are described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,619 to McAlpin et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,728 to Davis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,775 to Obiieski et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,236 to Lai et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,325 to Wheat, et a. Examples of metallocene catalysts include bis(n-butylcyclopentadienyl)titanium dichloride, bis(n-butylcyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride, bis(cyclopentadienyl)scandium chloride, bis(indenyl)zirconium dichloride, bis(methylcyclopentadienyl)titanium dichloride, bis(methylcyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride, cobaltocene, cydopentadienyltitanium trichloride, ferrocene, hafnocene dichloride, isopropyl(cyclopentadienyl,-1-flourenyl)zirconium dichloride, molybdocene dichloride, nickelocene, niobocene dichloride, ruthenocene, titanocene dichloride, zirconocene chloride hydride, zirconocene dichloride, and so forth. Polymers made using metallocene catalysts typically have a narrow molecular weight range. For instance, metallocene-catalyzed polymers may have polydispersity numbers (M_(w)/M_(n)) of below 4, controlled short chain branching distribution, and controlled isotacticity.

The second nonwoven web employed in the nonwoven facing is formed from a second polyolefin composition, which includes a rigid propylene polymer having a relatively high melting temperature and modulus of elasticity. For example, the rigid propylene polymer may have a melting temperature of from about 145° C. to about 200° C., in some embodiments from about 150° C. to about 180° C., and in some embodiments, from about 155° C. to about 170° C., and a modulus of elasticity of from about 800 to about 4,000 MPa, in some embodiments from about 1,000 to about 3,000 MPa, and in some embodiments, from about 1,200 to about 2,500 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM 0638-10. The rigid propylene polymer may also have a melt flow index of from about 15 to about 100 grams per 10 minutes, in some embodiments from about 20 to about 80 grams per 10 minutes, and in some embodiments, from about 25 to about 50 grams per 10 minutes, determined at a load of 2160 grams and at 230° C., as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238-13 (or ISO 1133).

Any of a variety of propylene polymers having the characteristics noted above may generally be employed in the present invention. In one particular embodiment, for instance, the propylene polymer is an isotactic or syndiotactic homopolymer or copolymer (e.g., random or block) containing about 10 wt. % or less of co-monomers (e.g., ao-olefins), and in some embodiments, about 2 wt. % or less. The term “syndiotactic” generally refers to a tacticity in which a substantial portion, if not all, of the methyl groups alternate on opposite sides along the polymer chain. On the other hand, the term “isotactic” generally refers to a tacticity in which a substantial portion, if not all, of the methyl groups are on the same side along the polymer chain. Such polymers are typically formed using a Zeigler-Natta catalyst, either alone or in combination with a small amount of an α-olefin co-monomer. Isotactic polymers, for instance, typically have a density in the range of from 0.88 to 0.94 g/cm³, and in some embodiments, from about 0.89 to 0.91 g/cm³, such as determined in accordance with ASTM 1505-10. Commercially available rigid propylene homopolymers may include, for instance, Metocene™ MF650Y and MF650X, which are available from Basell Polyolefins, as well as PP 3155, which is available from Exxon Mobil. Other examples of suitable propylene polymers may be described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,563 to Datta, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,056 to Yanq, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,052 to Resconi et al.

Rigid propylene polymers generally constitute from about 80 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 85 wt. % to about 99 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 90 wt. % to 98 wt. % of the polymer content of the second polyolefin composition. Likewise, the rigid propylene polymers may constitute from about 80 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 85 wt. % to about 99 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 90 wt. % to 98 wt. % of the entire second polyolefin composition.

As noted above, the polyolefin composition used to form the second nonwoven web also contains a ductile propylene polymer, which may have a relatively low modulus of elasticity that further reduces the overall stiffness of the composition. For example, the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the rigid propylene polymer to that of the ductile propylene polymer is typically from about 1 to about 50, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 40, and in some embodiments, from about 5 to about 30. The modulus of elasticity of the ductile propylene polymer may, for instance, range from about 1 to about 500 MPa, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 300 MPa, and in some embodiments, from about 10 to about 100 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10. The ductile propylene polymer may also have a relatively low melt flow index, such as from about 15 to about 1,000 grams per 10 minutes, in some embodiments from about 20 to about 500 grams per 10 minutes, and in some embodiments, from about 25 to about 200 grams per 10 minutes, determined at a load of 2160 grams and at 230° C., as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238-13 (or ISO 1133). Of course, in other embodiments, polymers with a relatively high melt flow index may be employed, such as from about 1,000 to about 5,000 grams per 10 minutes, in some embodiments from about 1,500 to about 4,000 grams per 10 minutes, and in some embodiments, from about 1,600 to about 3,000 grams per 10 minutes, determined at a load of 2160 grams and at 230° C., as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238-13 (or ISO 1133).

In addition, the ductile propylene polymer may also have a relatively low melting point and a relatively low degree of crystalinity. For example, the melting temperature of the ductile polymer may be from about 40° C. to about 120° C., in some embodiments from about 50° C. to about 100° C., and in some embodiments, from about 55° C. to about 85° C. Likewise, the degree of crystallinity of the polymer may be from about 1% to about 35%, in some embodiments from about 3% to about 20%, and in some embodiments, from about 5% and about 25%. Through the use of a ductile propylene polymer having a relatively low melting temperature and degree of crystallinity, the window of temperatures at which the second polyolefin composition begins to melt can be broadened, which thereby improves the ability of the compositions to become adequately bonded together during formation of the facing. This melting temperature window of the second polyolefin composition can be characterized using differential scanning calorimetry as the width (AWfn) at the half height of the endothermic melting peak. As a result of the present invention, for instance, AWnn may be about 5° C. or more, in some embodiments about 8° C. or more, and in some embodiments, from about 10° C. to about 20° C. The melting temperature of the second polyolefin composition may likewise range from about 100° C. to about 180° C., in some embodiments from about 120° C. to about 170° C., and in some embodiments, from about 150° C. to about 160° C. The width at the half height of the endothermic peak (ΔW_(f1/2)), melting temperature (i.e., peak of the endothermic curve), and degree of crystallinity may all be determined as is well known in the art using differential scanning calorimetry (‘DSC’) in accordance with ASTM D-3417.

Any of a variety of propylene polymers having the characteristics noted above may generally be employed in the present invention. In one particular embodiment, for instance, the propylene polymer is a low crystalline homopolymer or copolymer (e.g., random or block) containing about 10 wt. % or less of co-monomers (e.g., α-olefins), and in some embodiments, about 2 wt. % or less. Such polymers are typically formed using a metallocene catalyst, either alone or in combination with a small amount of an α-olefin co-monomer. Some examples of suitable metallocene catalysts are described above. Other examples of suitable metallocene catalysts for low crystalline propylene polymers may be described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0208422 to Koori, et al. For instance, such metallocene catalysts may be obtained from a combination of a promoter and a transition metal compound that form a cross-inked structure via two cross-linking groups. Suitable promoters may include, for instance, dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, triethylammonium tetraphenylborate, tri(n-butyl)ammonium tetraphenylborate, trimethylammonium tetraphenylborate, tetraethylammonium tetraphenylborate, methyl(tri-n-butyl)ammonium tetraphenylborate, benzyl(tri-n-butyl)ammonium tetraphenylborate, aluminoxane (e.g., methylaluminoxane, ethylaluminoxane, isobutylaluminoxane, etc.), and so forth. Suitable transition metal compounds may likewise include (1,2′-dimethylsilylene) (2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(3-n-butyindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2-dimethylsilylene) (2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(3-trimethylsilytmethylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(3-phenylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(4,5-benzoindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(4-isopropylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(5,6-dimethylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(4,7-di-isopropylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(4-phenylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2, 1′-dimethylsilylene)bis(3-methyl-4-isopropylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-dimethysilylene)bis(5,6-benzoindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene) (2,1′-isopropylidene)-bis(indenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-isopropylidene)-bis(3-methylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene) (2,1′-isopropylidene) bis(3-isopropylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, (1,2′-dimethylsilylene) (2,1′-isopropylidene)-bis(3-n-butylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, and (1,2′-dimethylsilylene)(2,1′-isopropylidene)-bis(3-trimethylsilylmethylin-denyl)zirconium dichloride, etc., as well as transition metal compounds produced by substituting zirconium in the aforementioned compounds with titanium or hafnium.

The resulting ductile propylene polymer typically has a density in the range of from 0.85 to 0.91 g/cm³, and in some embodiments, from about 0.85 to 0.089 g/cm³, such as determined in accordance with ASTM 1505-10. The ductile propylene polymer may also have a weight average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 200,000 grams per mole, in some embodiments from about 30,000 to about 100,000 grams per mole, and in some embodiments, from about 40,000 to about 80,000 grams per mole, as well as a polydispersity index (weight average molecular weight divided by number average molecular weight) of about 4 or less, and in some embodiments, about 3 or less. Commercially available examples of such metallocene-catalyzed propylene polymers may include, for instance, L-MODU™ S901, S600 or 5400, which are available from Idemitsu Kosan.

Ductile propylene polymers generally constitute from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 1 wt. % to 8 wt. % of the polymer content of the second polyolefin composition. Likewise, the ductile propylene polymers may constitute from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 0.2 wt. % to about 12 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 1 wt. % to 8 wt. % of the entire second polyolefin composition.

In addition to rigid and ductile propylene polymers, the polyolefin composition used to form the second nonwoven web may also contain a variety of other additives to further improve performance. For example, in certain embodiments, the second polyolefin composition may contain a fatty acid derivative can significantly improve the softness of the composition. When employed, the amount of fatty acid derivatives relative to ductile propylene polymers may be selectively controlled within a certain range so that the softness, ductility, and adhesive properties of the composition are all dramatically improved without having a significant adverse impact on the durability and strength of the resulting web. For example, the weight ratio of ductile polymers to fatty acid derivatives typically ranges from about 2 to about 60, in some embodiments from about 10 to about 50, in some embodiments from about 15 to about 40, and in some embodiments, from about 20 to about 30.

Suitable fatty acid derivatives for use in the composition may include, for instance, fatty acid amides, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, and so forth. In one particular embodiment, for example, the fatty acid derivative may be a fatty acid amide. The fatty acid amide may be any suitable amide compound derived from the reaction between a fatty acid and ammonia or an amine-containing compound (e.g., a compound containing a primary amine group or a secondary amine group). The fatty acid may be any suitable fatty acid, such as a saturated or unsaturated C₈-C₂₈ fatty acid or a saturated or unsaturated C₁₂-C₂₈ fatty acid. In certain embodiments, the fatty acid may be erucic acid (i.e., cis-13-docosenoic acid), oleic acid (i.e., cis-9-octadecenoic acid), stearic acid (octadecanoic acid), behenic acid (i.e., docosanoic acid), arachic acid (i.e., arachidinic acid or eicosanoic acid), palmitic acid (i.e., hexadecanoic acid), and mixtures or combinations thereof. The amine-containing compound can be any suitable amine-containing compound, such as fatty amines (e.g., stearylamine or oleylamine), ethylenediamine, 2,2′-iminodiethanol, and 1,1′-iminodipropan-2-ol.

More particularly, the fatty acid amide may be a fatty acid amide having the structure of one of Formulae (I)-(V):

wherein,

R₁₃, R₁₄, R₁₅, R₁₆, and R₁₈ are independently selected from C₇-C₂₇ alkyl groups and C₇-C₂₇ alkenyl groups, and in some embodiments, C₁₁-C₂₇ alkyl groups and C₁₁-C₂₇ alkenyl groups;

R₁₇ is selected from C₈-C₂₈ alkyl groups and C₈-C₂₈ alkenyl groups, and in some embodiments, C₁₂-C₂₈ alkyl groups and C₁₂-C₂₈ alkenyl groups; and

R₁₉ is —CH₂CH₂OH or —CH₂CH(CH₃)OH.

For example, the fatty acid amide may have the structure of Formula (I), where R₁₃ is —CH₂(CH₂)₁₀CH═CH(CH₂)₇CH₃ (erucamide), —CH₂(CH₂)CH═CH(CH₂)₇CH₃ (oleamide), —CH₂(CH₂)₁₅CH₃, —CH₂(CH₂)₁₉CH₃, or —CH₂(CH₂)₁₇CH₃. In other embodiments, the fatty acid amide may have the structure of Formula (II) where R₁₄ is —CH₂(CH₂)₁₀CH═CH(CH₂)₇CH₃ and R₁₅ is —CH₂(CH₂)₁₅CH₃, or where R₁₄ is —CH₂(CH₂)₆CH═CH(CH₂)CH₃ and R₁₅ is —CH₂(CH₂)₁₃CH₃. Likewise, in yet other embodiments, the fatty acid amide may have the structure of Formula (III) where R₁₆ is CH₂(CH₂)₁₅CH₃ or —CH₂(CH₂)₆CH═CH(CH₂)₇CH₃. The composition may also contain a mixture of two or more such fatty acid amides.

If desired, fatty acid esters may also be employed in the present invention. Fatty acid esters may be obtained by oxidative bleaching of a crude natural wax and subsequent esterification of a fatty acid with an alcohol. The fatty acid may be a C₈-C₂₈ fatty acid or a saturated or unsaturated C₁₂-C₂₈ fatty acid, such as described above. The alcohol may have 1 to 4 hydroxyl groups and 2 to 20 carbon atoms. When the alcohol is multifunctional (e.g., 2 to 4 hydroxyl groups), a carbon atom number of 2 to 8 is particularly desired. Particularly suitable multifunctional alcohols may include dihydric alcohol (e.g., ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol and 1,4-cyclohexanediol), trihydric alcohol (e.g., glycerol and trimethylolpropane), tetrahydric alcohols (e.g., pentaerythritol and erythritol), and so forth. Aromatic alcohols may also be suitable, such as o-, m- and p-tolylcarbinol, chlorobenzyl alcohol, bromobenzyl alcohol, 2,4-dimethylbenzyl alcohol, 3,5-dimethylbenzyl alcohol, 2,3,5-cumobenzyl alcohol, 3,4,5-trimethylbenzyl alcohol, p-cuminyl alcohol, 1,2-phthalyl alcohol, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)benzene, 1,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)benzene, pseudocumenyl glycol, mesitylene glycol and mesitylene glycerol. Fatty acid salts may also be employed, such as those formed by saponification of a fatty acid to neutralize excess carboxylic acids and form a metal salt. Saponification may occur with a metal hydroxide, such as an alkali metal hydroxide (e.g., sodium hydroxide) or alkaline earth metal hydroxide (e.g., calcium hydroxide). The resulting fatty acid salt typically includes an alkali metal (e.g., sodium, potassium, lithium, etc.) or alkaline earth metal (e.g., calcium, magnesium, etc.).

If desired, various other additives may also be employed in the second polyolefin composition as is well known in the art. Examples of such additives may include, for instance, elastomers (e.g., styrenic elastomers, olefinic elastomers, etc.), fillers, pigments, antioxidants, stabilizers (e.g., melt stabilizers, light stabilizers, heat stabilizers, etc.), surfactants, flow promoters, solid solvents, plasticizers, particulates, bonding agents, tackifiers, viscosity modifiers, etc. When employed, such additives typically constitute from about 0.001 wt. % to about 15 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 0.01 to about 10 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 0.1 wt. % to about 8 wt. % of the second polyolefin composition.

In certain embodiments, for instance, the second polyolefin composition may contain an olefinic elastomer, such as a copolymer of propylene and an α-olefin. Suitable α-olefins may be linear or branched (e.g., one or more C₁-C₃ alkyl branches, or an aryl group) and formed from olefins, such as C₂-C₂₀ α-olefins, C₂-C₁₂ α-olefins, or C₂-C₈ α-olefins. Specific examples include ethylene, butene; 3-methyl-1-butene; 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene; pentene; pentene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; hexene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; heptene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; octene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; nonene with one or more methyl, ethyl or propyl substituents; ethyl, methyl or dimethyl-substituted decene; dodecene; styrene; and so forth. Particularly desired α-olefin comonomers are ethylene, butene (e.g., 1-butene), hexene, and octene (e.g., 1-octene or 2-octene). The propylene content of the propylene/α-olefin copolymer is typically from about 60 mole % to about 99.5 mole %, in some embodiments from about 80 mole % to about 99 mole %, and in some embodiments, from about 85 mole % to about 98 mole %. The α-olefin content may likewise range from about 0.5 mole % to about 40 mole %, in some embodiments from about 1 mole % to about 20 mole %, and in some embodiments, from about 2 mole % to about 15 mole %. Generally speaking, the copolymer has a density lower than that of certain polyolefins (e.g., LLDPE), but approaching and/or overlapping that of other elastomers. For example, the density of the copolymer may be about 0.91 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) or less, in some embodiments from about 0.85 to about 0.89 g/cm³, and in some embodiments, from about 0.85 g/cm³ to about 0.88 g/cm³. Such propylene copolymers are commercially available under the designations VISTAMAXX™ from ExxonMobil Chemical Co. and VERSIFY™ available from Dow Chemical Co.

The fibers of the first and second nonwoven webs may generally have any of a variety of different configuration as is known in the art. For example, monocomponent and/or multicomponent fibers may be employed. Monocomponent fibers, for instance, are typically formed by extruding a polymer composition from a single extruder. Multicomponent fibers, on the other hand, are generally formed from two or more polymer compositions (e.g., bicomponent fibers) extruded from separate extruders. The polymer compositions may be arranged in substantially constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-section of the fibers. The components may be arranged in any desired configuration, such as sheath-core, side-by-side, pie, island-in-the-sea, three island, bull's eye, or various other arrangements known in the art. Various methods for forming multicomponent fibers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,592 to Taniguchi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,552 to Strack et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,820 to Kaneko, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,668 to Krueae. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,400 to Pike, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,552 to Strack, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,669 to Marmon, et al. Multicomponent fibers having various irregular shapes may also be formed, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,976 to Hogle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,074 to Hils, U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,410 to Hills, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,970 to Larqman, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,368 to Laraman, et al.

The fibers may constitute the entire fibrous component of the first and/or second nonwoven web or blended with other types of fibers. When blended with other types of fibers, it is normally desired that the fibers of the present invention constitute from about 20 wt. % to about 95 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 30 wt. % to about 90 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 40 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of a web.

Any of a variety of known techniques may be employed to form the first and/or second nonwoven web. For example, in one embodiment, the first and/or second nonwoven webs may be formed by a spunbond process in which the polyolefin composition is fed to an extruder and extruded through a conduit to a spinneret Spinnerets for extruding fibers are well known to those of skill in the art. For example, the spinneret may include a housing containing a spin pack having a plurality of plates stacked one on top of each other and having a pattern of openings arranged to create flow paths for the polymer composition. The spinneret may also have openings arranged in one or more rows that form a downwardly extruding curtain of fibers when the polymer composition is extruded therethrough. The process may also employ a quench blower positioned adjacent the curtain of fibers extending from the spinneret. Air from the quench air blower may quench the fibers as they are formed. A fiber draw unit or aspirator may also be positioned below the spinneret to receive the quenched fibers. Fiber draw units or aspirators for use in melt spinning polymers are well-known in the art. The fiber draw unit may include an elongate vertical passage through which the fibers are drawn by aspirating air entering from the sides of the passage and flowing downwardly through the passage. A heater or blower may supply aspirating air to the fiber draw unit, which draws the fibers and ambient air through the fiber draw unit.

Generally speaking, the resulting fibers of the first and/or second nonwoven web may have an average size (e.g., diameter) of about 100 micrometer or less, in some embodiments from about 0.1 microns to about 50 microns, and in some embodiments, from about 0.5 microns to about 40 microns. The fibers may likewise have a denier of about 6 or less, in some embodiments about 3 or less, and in some embodiments, from about 0.5 to about 1.5. In certain embodiments, the fibers may be in the form of substantially continuous filaments (e.g., spunbond filaments), which may have a length much greater than their diameter, such as a length to diameter ratio (“aspect ratio”) of about 15,000 to 1 or more, and in some embodiments, about 50,000 to 1 or more.

The fibers may be formed into a coherent web structure by randomly depositing the fibers onto a forming surface (optionally with the aid of a vacuum) and then bonding the resulting web using any known technique, such as with an adhesive or autogenously (e.g., fusion and/or self-adhesion of the fibers without an applied external adhesive). Autogenous bonding, for instance, may be achieved through contact of the fibers while they are semi-molten or tacky, or simply by blending a tackifying resin and/or solvent with polymer composition used to form the fibers. Suitable autogenous bonding techniques may include ultrasonic bonding, thermal bonding, through-air bonding, and so forth. Typically, the resulting basis weight of each web is about 30 grams per square meter or less, in some embodiments from about 1 to about 20 grams per square meter, and in some embodiments, from about 2 to about 10 grams per square meter.

If desired, the first and/or second nonwoven web may also be subjected to one or more post-treatment steps before being combined into the facing of the present invention as is known in the art. For example, the first and/or second nonwoven web may be stretched or necked in the machine and/or cross-machine directions. Suitable stretching techniques may include necking, tentering, groove roll stretching, etc. Examples of suitable stretching techniques are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,545, 5,226,992, 4,981,747 and 4,965,122 to Morman, as well as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0121687 to Morman, et al. Alternatively, the nonwoven web may remain relatively inextensible in at least one direction prior to forming the facing. The nonwoven web may also be subjected to other known processing steps, such as aperturing, heat treatments, etc.

Once formed, the first and second nonwoven webs may then be laminated together to form a composite using any conventional technique, such as with an adhesive or autogenously. In one embodiment, for example, the nonwoven webs may be thermally bonded by passing the webs through a nip formed between a pair of rolls, one or both of which are heated to melt-fuse the fibers. One or both of the rolls may also contain intermittently raised bond points to provide an intermittent bonding pattern. The pattern of the raised points is generally selected so that the nonwoven laminate has a total bond area of less than about 50% (as determined by conventional optical microscopic methods), and in some embodiments, less than about 30%. Likewise, the bond density is also typically greater than about 100 bonds per square inch, and in some embodiments, from about 250 to about 500 pin bonds per square inch. Such a combination of total bond area and bond density may be achieved by bonding the web with a pin bond pattern having more than about 100 pin bonds per square inch that provides a total bond surface area less than about 30% when fully contacting a smooth anvil roll. In some embodiments, the bond pattern may have a pin bond density from about 250 to about 350 pin bonds per square inch and a total bond surface area from about 10% to about 25% when contacting a smooth anvil roll. Exemplary bond patterns include, for instance, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,046 to Hansen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,779 to Levy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,112 to Haynes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,665 to Sayovitz et al., U.S. Design Pat. No. 428,267 to Romano et al. and U.S. Design Pat. No. 390,708 to Brown.

Due to the particular thermal properties of the polyolefin compositions used to form the first and second nonwoven webs, the present inventors have discovered that relatively low temperatures can be used to bond the webs together. For example, the bonding temperature (e.g., the temperature of the rollers) may be relatively low, such as from about 50° C. to about 165° C., in some embodiments from about 80° C. to about 160° C., and in some embodiments, from about 100° C. to about 155° C. Likewise, the nip pressure may range from about 5 to about 150 pounds per square inch, in some embodiments, from about 10 to about 100 pounds per square inch, and in some embodiments, from about 30 to about 60 pounds per square inch.

Other types of bonding techniques may also be employed in the present invention to attach the first and second nonwoven webs. In one embodiment, for example, hydraulic entangling may be employed using conventional hydraulic entangling equipment, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,706 to Evans. Hydraulic entangling may be carried out with any appropriate working fluid, such as, for example, water. The working fluid may flow through a manifold that evenly distributes the fluid to a series of individual holes or orifices. These holes or orifices may be from about 0.003 to about 0.015 inch in diameter and may be arranged in one or more rows with any number of orifices, e.g., 30-100 per inch, in each row. However, it should also be understood that many other manifold configurations and combinations may be used. Although not held to any particular theory of operation, it is believed that the columnar jets of working fluid that directly impact the fibers of one of the webs and drive those fibers into and partially through the other web, causing the fibers to entangle and bond together. To achieve the desired entanglement, it is typically desired that hydroentangling be performed using water pressures from about 1000 to 3000 psig, and in some embodiments, from about 1200 to 1800 psig.

The resulting facing may be a two-layered material containing only the first and second nonwoven webs. In such embodiments, the first nonwoven web typically constitutes from about 20 wt. % to about 80 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 30 wt. % to about 70 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 40 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of the facing, and the second nonwoven web likewise constitutes from about 20 wt. % to about 80 wt. %, in some embodiments from about 30 wt. % to about 70 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 40 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of the facing. The nonwoven facing typically has a basis weight of from about 1 to about 45 grams per square meter or less, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 30 grams per square meter, and in some embodiments, from about 3 to about 20 grams per square meter.

Of course, it should also be understood that the nonwoven facing may contain additional layers (e.g., nonwoven webs, films, strands, etc.) if so desired. For example, the facing may contain three (3) or more layers, and in some embodiments, from three (3) to ten (10) layers (e.g., 3 or 5 layers). In one embodiment, for instance, the nonwoven facing may contain an inner nonwoven layer (e.g., meltblown or spunbond) positioned between two outer nonwoven layers (e.g., spunbond). For example, the inner nonwoven layer may be formed from the first polyolefin composition and one or both of the outer nonwoven layers may be formed from the second polyolefin composition. In another embodiment, the nonwoven facing may contain five (5) nonwoven layers, which includes a central nonwoven layer, two Intermediate nonwoven layers overlying the central layer, and two outer nonwoven layers overlying the intermediate layers. The central layer may, for instance, be formed from the second polyolefin composition and one or both of the intermediate layers may be formed from the first polyolefin composition. If desired, the outer layers may likewise be formed from the second polyolefin composition. Various techniques for forming laminates of this nature are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,203 to Brock et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,881 to Timmons. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,688 to Timmons, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,888 to Bomslaeger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,706 to Collier, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,029 to Brock et al. Of course, other configurations may also be employed, such as a spunbond/meltblown/meltblown/spunbond (“SMMS”) laminate, spunbond/meltblown (“SM”) laminate, etc.

Various additional potential processing and/or finishing steps known in the art, such as slitting, stretching, etc., may be performed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, the facing may optionally be mechanically stretched in the cross-machine and/or machine directions to enhance extensibility. For example, the facing may be coursed through two or more rolls that have grooves in the CD and/or MD directions that incrementally stretch the facing in the CD and/or MD direction. Such grooved satellite/anvil roll arrangements are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004/0110442 to Rhim, et al. and 2006/0151914 to Gemdt, et al. The grooved rolls may be constructed of steel or other hard material (such as a hard rubber). Besides grooved rolls, other techniques may also be used to mechanically stretch the facing in one or more directions. For example, the facing may be passed through a tenter frame that stretches the facing. Such tenter frames are well known in the art and described, for instance, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0121687 to Morman. et al. The facing may also be necked, such as described above.

Regardless of the particular manner in which it is formed, the present inventors have discovered that the resulting facing may possess a high degree of abrasion, as well as enhanced strength and toughness. For example, the facing may exhibit a relatively high ‘peak load’, which indicates the maximum load to break as expressed in units of grams-force per inch. The MD peak load of the facing may, for instance, be about 2,000 grams-force (‘g_(f)’) or more, in some embodiments about 3,000 g_(f) or more, and in some embodiments, from about 4,000 to about 15,000 g_(f). The CD peak load may likewise be about 1,200 g_(f) or more, in some embodiments about 1,500 g_(f) or more, and in some embodiments, from about 2,000 to about 10,000 g_(f). In addition, the nonwoven facing is also capable of exhibiting improved “peak elongation” properties, i.e., the percent elongation of the composite at its peak load. For example, the nonwoven facing of the present invention may exhibit a machine direction (‘MD’) peak elongation of about 20% or more, in some embodiments about 30% or more, and in some embodiments, from about 40% to about 70%. The nonwoven facing may also exhibit a cross-machine direction (‘CD’) peak elongation of about 35% or more, in some embodiments about 45% or more, and in some embodiments, from about 50% to about 80%.

Of course, in addition to possessing good mechanical properties, the nonwoven facing of the present invention is also soft, drapable, and tactile. One parameter that is indicative of the softness of the composite is the peak load (“cup crush load”) as determined according to the “cup crust” test, which is described in more detail below. More particularly, the cup crush load of the facing may, for instance, be about 200 g_(f) or less, in some embodiments about 150 g_(f) or less and in some embodiments, from about 5 to about 100 g_(f). Another parameter that is indicative of the good tactile properties of the facing is the static coefficient of friction in the machine or cross-machine direction. More particularly, the MD and/or CD coefficient of friction may be about 0.885 or less, in some embodiments about 0.850 or less, and in some embodiments, from about 0.500 to about 0.800.

If desired, the nonwoven facing of the present invention may be applied with various treatments to impart desirable characteristics. For example, the facing may be treated with liquid-repellency additives, antistatic agents, surfactants, colorants, antifogging agents, fluorochemical blood or alcohol repellents, lubricants, and/or antimicrobial agents. In addition, the facing may be subjected to an electret treatment that imparts an electrostatic charge to improve filtration efficiency. The charge may include layers of positive or negative charges trapped at or near the surface of the polymer, or charge clouds stored in the bulk of the polymer. The charge may also include polarization charges that are frozen in alignment of the dipoles of the molecules. Techniques for subjecting a fabric to an electret treatment are well known by those skilled in the art. Examples of such techniques include, but are not limited to, thermal, liquid-contact, electron beam and corona discharge techniques. In one particular embodiment, the electret treatment is a corona discharge technique, which involves subjecting the laminate to a pair of electrical fields that have opposite polarities. Other methods for forming an electret material are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,682 to Kubik, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,718 to Wadsworth; U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,815 to Nakao; U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,659 to Ando; U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,446 to Tsai, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,026 to Reader, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,598 to Rousseau, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,088 to Kniaht, et al.

B. Film

As indicated above, a film is also laminated to the nonwoven facing to form the backsheet of the absorbent article. Any known technique may be used to form a film, including blowing, casting, flat die extruding, etc. The film may be a mono- or multi-layered film. Any of a variety of polymers may also be used to form the film layer, such as polyolefins (e.g., propylene and/or ethylene polymers such as described above), vinyl acetate polymers (e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate), vinyl alcohol polymers (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol), alkyl acrylate polymers (e.g., ethylene ethyl acrylate, ethylene acrylic acid, ethylene methyl acrylate, ethylene butyl acrylate), polyamides (e.g., nylon), polyurethanes, halogenated polymers (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc.), polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, etc.), styrenic polymers (e.g., polystyrene, styrene-butadiene-styrene polymers, styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene polymers, etc.), and so forth.

The film is typically liquid-impermeable and either vapor-permeable or vapor-impermeable. Films that are liquid-impermeable and vapor-permeable are often referred to as “breathable” and they typically have a water vapor transmission rate (“WVTR”) of about 100 grams per square meter per 24 hours (g/m²/24 hours) or more, in some embodiments from about 500 to about 20,000 g/m²/24 hours, and in some embodiments, from about 1,000 to about 15,000 g g/m²/24 hours. In one embodiment, for example, the breathable film may be a microporous film. Microporous films are typically formed by incorporating a filler into the polymer matrix and thereafter stretching the film to create the pores. Examples of suitable fillers may include, for instance, calcium carbonate, day, silica, alumina, barium carbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, talc, barium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, aluminum sulfate, titanium dioxide, zeolites, cellulose-type powders, kaolin, mica, carbon, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, pulp powder, wood powder, cellulose derivatives, chitin and chitin derivatives. When utilized, the filler content may vary, such as from about 25 wt. % to about 75 wt. %, in some embodiments, from about 30 wt. % to about 70 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 40 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of the film. The polymer matrix may likewise constitute from about 25 wt. % to about 75 wt. %, in some embodiments, from about 30 wt. % to about 70 wt. %, and in some embodiments, from about 40 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of the film. Examples of such breathable microporous films are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,057 to McCormack; U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,999 to McCormack: U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,497 to Morman, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,981 to McCormack, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,064 to Kobylivker, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,764 to McCormack, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,281 to Mathis, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,163 to McCormack, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,457 to Taylor, et al.

Of course, the film may also be made breathable using other known techniques. For instance, a cellular film may be used to provide breathability. Breathable cellular films may be produced by mixing the polymer blend with a cell-opening agent that decomposes or reacts to release a gas to form cells in the film. The cell opening agent may be an azodicarbonamide, fluorocarbon, low boiling point solvent (e.g., methylene chloride, water, etc.) and other cell-opening or blowing agents known in the art to create a vapor at the temperature experienced in the film die extrusion process. Exemplary cellular films are described in WO 00/39201 to Thomas et al, Breathability may also be imparted without concern for its barrier properties. In such circumstances, either the film itself or the entire facing may be apertured or perforated to provide a backsheet capable of allowing the passage of vapors or gases. Such perforations or apertures may be performed by methods known in the art, such as slit aperturing or pin aperturing with heated or ambient temperature pins.

The film may also be mono- or mufti-layered. Multilayer films may be prepared by coextrusion of the layers, extrusion coating, or by any conventional layering process. Such multilayer films normally contain at least one base layer and at least one skin layer, but may contain any number of layers desired. The thickness of the skin layer(s) is generally selected so as not to substantially impair the properties of the film. To this end, each skin layer may separately comprise from about 0.5% to about 15% of the total thickness of the film, and in some embodiments from about 1% to about 10% of the total thickness of the film. For instance, each skin layer may have a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 10 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 5 micrometers, and in some embodiments, from about 1 to about 2.5 micrometers. Likewise, the base layer may have a thickness of from about from about 1 to about 40 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 25 micrometers, and in some embodiments, from about 5 to about 20 micrometers.

The properties of the resulting film may generally vary as desired. For instance, prior to stretching, a film may have a basis weight of about 100 grams per square meter or less, and in some embodiments, from about 50 to about 75 grams per square meter. Upon stretching, the film may have a basis weight of about 60 grams per square meter or less, and in some embodiments, from about 15 to about 35 grams per square meter. The stretched film may also have a total thickness of from about 1 to about 100 micrometers, in some embodiments, from about 10 to about 80 micrometers, and in some embodiments, from about 20 to about 60 micrometers.

II. Topsheet

The topsheet is generally designed to contact the body of the user and is liquid-permeable. In this regard, the topsheet typically defines the “body-facing” surface of the article, which generally refers to an outwardly facing surface of an absorbent article that is intended to be disposed toward or placed adjacent to the body of a wearer during ordinary use. The topsheet may surround the absorbent core so that it completely encases the absorbent article. Alternatively, the topsheet and the backsheet may extend beyond the absorbent core and be peripherally joined together, either entirely or partially, using known techniques. Typically, the topsheet and the backsheet are joined by adhesive bonding, ultrasonic bonding, or any other suitable joining method known in the art.

The topsheet may be formed from a single layer or a composite containing separate and distinct layers. Regardless, the topsheet is typically compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating to the skin. For example, some suitable materials that may in the topsheet include nonwoven webs (e.g., spunbond web, meltblown web, or bonded carded web), apertured films, mesh materials, etc., as well as combinations thereof. Examples of suitable polymers for use in forming nonwoven webs may include, for instance, rayon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, or other heat-bondable fibers, polyolefins, such as copolymers of polypropylene and polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, and aliphatic esters such as polylactic acid. In one particular embodiment, for example, the topsheet may be formed from a nonwoven facing, such as described herein, which may or may not have the same construction as the facing employed in the backsheet. Alternatively, the topsheet may be formed from other known materials, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,192,606; 5,702,377; 5,931,823; 6,060,638; and 6,150,002, as well as U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 200410102750, 2005/0054255, and 2005/0059941. The topsheet typically has a basis weight of about 100 gsm or less, and in some embodiments, from about 10 gsm to about 40 gsm.

If desired, the topsheet may contain a plurality of apertures to permit body fluid to pass more readily into the absorbent core. The apertures may be randomly or uniformly arranged throughout the topsheet, or they may be located only in the narrow longitudinal band or strip arranged along the longitudinal axis of the absorbent article. The apertures permit rapid penetration of body fluid down into the absorbent core. The size, shape, diameter and number of apertures may be varied to suit one's particular needs.

III. Absorbent Core

The absorbent article also contains an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent core may be formed from a single absorbent layer or a composite containing separate and distinct absorbent layers. The absorbent core may contain a hydrophilic fibrous material to enhance the ability of the article to absorb fluids. Suitable hydrophilic fibers may include, for instance, natural and/or synthetic pulp fibers (e.g., fluff pulp fibers). The pulp fibers may be kraft pulp, sulfite pulp, thermomechanical pulp, etc. In addition, the pulp fibers may include high-average fiber length pulp, low-average fiber length pulp, or mixtures of the same. One example of suitable high-average length pulp fibers includes softwood pulp fibers. Softwood pulp fibers are derived from coniferous trees and include pulp fibers such as, but not limited to, northern, western, and southern softwood species, including redwood, red cedar, hemlock, Douglas-fir, true firs, pine (e.g., southern pines), spruce (e.g., black spruce), combinations thereof, and so forth. Northern softwood pulp fibers may be used in the present invention. Low-average length fibers may also be used in the present invention. An example of suitable low-average length pulp fibers is hardwood pulp fibers. Hardwood pulp fibers are derived from deciduous trees and include pulp fibers such as, but not limited to, eucalyptus, maple, birch, aspen, etc. Eucalyptus pulp fibers may be particularly desired to increase softness, enhance brightness, increase opacity, and change the pore structure of the sheet to increase its wicking ability. Synthetic fibers may also be employed, such as those formed from polyolefins, polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), etc.), synthetic cellulosic polymers (e.g., cellulosic esters, cellulosic ethers, cellulosic nitrates, cellulosic acetates, cellulosic acetate butyrates, ethyl cellulose, regenerated celluloses, etc.), and so forth. Non-wood fibers may also be used, such as straw, flax, bagasse, etc.

If desired, the absorbent core may also contain a superabsorbent material, which may be water-swellable and capable of absorbing at least about 20 times its weight and, in some cases, at least about 30 times its weight in an aqueous solution containing 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride. The superabsorbent material may be natural, synthetic and modified natural polymers and materials. Examples of synthetic superabsorbent material polymers include the alkali metal and ammonium salts of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid), poly(acrylamides), poly(vinyl ethers), maleic anhydride copolymers with vinyl ethers and alpha-olefins, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(vinylmorpholinone), poly(vinyl alcohol), and mixtures and copolymers thereof. Further superabsorbent materials include natural and modified natural polymers, such as hydrolyzed acrylonitrile-grafted starch, acrylic acid grafted starch, methyl cellulose, chitosan, carboxymethyl celulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and the natural gums, such as alginates, xanthan gum, locust bean gum and so forth. Mixtures of natural and wholly or partially synthetic superabsorbent polymers may also be useful in the present invention.

IV. Other Components

The absorbent article of the present invention may contain a wide variety of other components as is well known to those in the art, such as a surge layer, wrapsheet, ventilation layer, etc. In this regard, various exemplary embodiments of an absorbent article that may be formed according to the present invention will now be described in more detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, for instance, one embodiment of an absorbent article 201 is shown in the form of a diaper. However, as noted above, the invention may be embodied in other types of absorbent articles, such as incontinence articles, sanitary napkins, diaper pants, feminine napkins, children's training pants, and so forth. In the illustrated embodiment, the absorbent article 201 is shown as having an hourglass shape in an unfastened configuration. However, other shapes may of course be utilized, such as a generally rectangular shape, T-shape, or I-shape. As shown, the absorbent article 201 includes a chassis 202 formed by an absorbent core 203 that is positioned between a backsheet 217 and a topsheet 205. As indicated above, the backsheet 217 contains the nonwoven facing containing the first and second nonwoven webs described herein, and the second nonwoven web defines a garment-facing surface 333 of the absorbent article 201.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 201 may also include a surge that helps to decelerate and diffuse surges or gushes of liquid that may be rapidly introduced into the absorbent core 203. Desirably, the surge layer 207 rapidly accepts and temporarily holds the liquid prior to releasing it into the storage or retention portions of the absorbent core 203. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the surge layer 207 is interposed between an inwardly facing surface 216 of the topsheet 205 and the absorbent core 203. Alternatively, the surge layer 207 may be located on the outwardly facing surface 218 of the topsheet 205. The surge layer 207 is typically constructed from highly liquid-permeable materials. Suitable materials may include porous woven materials, porous nonwoven materials, and apertured films. In one embodiment, the surge layer 207 may also be formed from a material such as employed in the nonwoven facing described herein. Other examples of suitable surge layers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,166 to Ellis, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,846 to Ellis, et al.

Besides the above-mentioned components, the absorbent article 201 may also contain various other components as is known in the art. For example, the absorbent article 201 may also contain a hydrophilic wrapsheet (not illustrated) that helps maintain the integrity of the fibrous structure of the absorbent core 203. The wrapsheet is typically placed about the absorbent core 203 over at least the two major facing surfaces thereof, and composed of an absorbent cellulosic material, such as creped wadding or a high wet-strength tissue. The wrapsheet may be configured to provide a wicking layer that helps to rapidly distribute liquid over the mass of absorbent fibers of the absorbent core 203. The wrapsheet material on one side of the absorbent fibrous mass may be bonded to the wrapsheet located on the opposite side of the fibrous mass to effectively entrap the absorbent core 203. Furthermore, the absorbent article 201 may also include a ventilation layer (not shown) that is positioned between the absorbent core 203 and the backsheet 217. When utilized, the ventilation layer may help insulate the backsheet 217 from the absorbent core 203, thereby reducing dampness in the backsheet 217. Examples of such ventilation layers may include a nonwoven web laminated to a breathable film, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,611 to Blaney, at al. If desired, such layers may also be formed from a material such as employed in the nonwoven facing described herein.

In some embodiments, the absorbent article 201 may also include a pair of ears (not shown) that extend from the side edges 232 of the absorbent article 201 into one of the waist regions. The ears may be integrally formed with a selected diaper component. For example, the ears may be integrally formed with the backsheet 217 or from the material employed to provide the top surface. In alternative configurations, the ears may be provided by members connected and assembled to the backsheet 217, the top surface, between the backsheet 217 and top surface, or in various other configurations.

As representatively illustrated in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 201 may also include a pair of containment flaps 212 that are configured to provide a barrier and to contain the lateral flow of body exudates. The containment flaps 212 may be located along the laterally opposed side edges 232 of the topsheet 205 adjacent the side edges of the absorbent core 203. The containment flaps 212 may extend longitudinally along the entire length of the absorbent core 203, or may only extend partially along the length of the absorbent core 203. When the containment flaps 212 are shorter in length than the absorbent core 203, they may be selectively positioned anywhere along the side edges 232 of absorbent article 201 in a crotch region 210. In one embodiment, the containment flaps 212 extend along the entire length of the absorbent core 203 to better contain the body exudates. Such containment flaps 212 are generally well known to those skilled in the art. For example, suitable constructions and arrangements for the containment flaps 212 are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 to Enloe.

The absorbent article 201 may include various elastic or stretchable materials, such as a pair of leg elastic members 206 affixed to the side edges 232 to further prevent leakage of body exudates and to support the absorbent core 203. In addition, a pair of waist elastic members 208 may be affixed to longitudinally opposed waist edges 215 of the absorbent article 201. The leg elastic members 206 and the waist elastic members 208 are generally adapted to closely fit about the legs and waist of the wearer in use to maintain a positive, contacting relationship with the wearer and to effectively reduce or eliminate the leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article 201. The absorbent article 201 may also include one or more fasteners 230. For example, two flexible fasteners 130 are illustrated in FIG. 1 on opposite side edges of waist regions to create a waist opening and a pair of leg openings about the wearer. The shape of the fasteners 230 may generally vary, but may include, for instance, generally rectangular shapes, square shapes, circular shapes, triangular shapes, oval shapes, linear shapes, and so forth. The fasteners may include, for instance, a hook material. In one particular embodiment, each fastener 230 includes a separate piece of hook material affixed to the inside surface of a flexible backing.

The various regions and/or components of the absorbent article 201 may be assembled together using any known attachment mechanism, such as adhesive, ultrasonic, thermal bonds, etc. Suitable adhesives may include, for instance, hot melt adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives, and so forth. When utilized, the adhesive may be applied as a uniform layer, a patterned layer, a sprayed pattern, or any of separate lines, swirls or dots. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the backsheet 217 and topsheet 205 are assembled to each other and to the absorbent core 203 using an adhesive. Alternatively, the absorbent core 203 may be connected to the backsheet 217 using conventional fasteners, such as buttons, hook and loop type fasteners, adhesive tape fasteners, and so forth. Similarly, other diaper components, such as the leg elastic members 206, waist elastic members 208 and fasteners 230, may also be assembled into the absorbent article 201 using any attachment mechanism.

Although various configurations of a diaper have been described above, it should be understood that other diaper and absorbent article configurations are also included within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the present invention is by no means limited to diapers. In fact, any other absorbent article may be formed in accordance with the present invention, including, but not limited to, other personal care absorbent articles, such as training pants, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products (e.g., sanitary napkins), swim wear, baby wipes, and so forth; medical absorbent articles, such as garments, fenestration materials, underpads, bandages, absorbent drapes, and medical wipes; food service wipers; clothing articles; and so forth.

The present invention may be better understood with reference to the following examples.

Test Methods Thermal Properties:

The melting temperature and degree of crystallinity of a material may be determined by differential scanning calorimetry (“DSC”) in accordance with ASTM D-3417. The differential scanning calorimeter was a DSC Q 2000 (T-zero cell0, which may be outfitted with a liquid nitrogen cooling accessory and with a UNIVERSAL ANALYSIS 2000 (version 4.6.6) analysis software program, both of which are available from T.A. Instruments Inc. To avoid directly handling the samples, tweezers or other tools may be used. The sample (e.g., 4 milligrams) may be placed into an aluminum pan and weighed to an accuracy of 0.01 milligram on an analytical balance. A lid may be crimped over the material sample onto the pan. Typically, the sample is placed directly in the weighing pan. The differential scanning calorimeter may be calibrated using an indium metal standard and a baseline correction was performed, as described in the operating manual for the differential scanning calorimeter. A sample may be placed into the test chamber of the differential scanning calorimeter for testing, and an empty pan may be used as a reference. All testing may be run with a 55-cubic centimeter per minute nitrogen (industrial grade) purge on the test chamber. The heating and cooling program may be a 2-cycle test that begins with an equilibration of the chamber to −50° C., followed by a first heating period at a heating rate of 10° C. per minute to a temperature of 225° C., equilibration of the sample at 225° C. for 3 minutes, and a first cooling period at a cooling rate of 10° C. per minute to a temperature of −50° C., a second heating period at a heating rate of 10° C. per minute to a temperature of 225° C., equilibration of the sample at 225° C. for 3 minutes, and then a second cooling period at a cooling rate of 10° C. per minute to a temperature of −50° C. All testing may be conducted in an inert gas atmosphere (e.g., helium).

The results may be evaluated using the UNIVERSAL ANALYSIS 2000 analysis software program, which identifies and quantifies the endothermic and exothermic peaks, and the areas under the peaks on the DSC plots. The melting temperature is determined using an automatic inflection calculation. The areas under the peaks on the DSC plots are determined in terms of joules per gram of sample (J/g). For example, the heat of fusion of a sample (ΔH_(f)) is determined by integrating the area of the endothermic peak. The area values are determined by converting the areas under the DSC plots (e.g., the area of the endotherm) into the units of joules per gram (J/g) using computer software. The exothermic heat of crystallization (ΔH_(c)) can be determined during the first cooling cycle.

If desired, the % crystalinity may also be calculated as follows:

% crystallinity=100′(A−B)/C

wherein,

A is the sum of endothermic peak areas during the heating cycle (J/g);

B is the sum of exothermic peak areas during the heating cycle (J/g); and

C is the heat of fusion for the selected polymer where such polymer has 100% crystallinity (J/g). The areas under any exothermic peaks encountered in the DSC scan due to insufficient crystallinity may also be subtracted from the area under the endothermic peak to appropriately represent the degree of crystallinity.

Tensile Properties:

The strip tensile strength values were determined in substantial accordance with ASTM Standard D-5034. Specifically, a sample was cut or otherwise provided with size dimensions that measured 3 inches (76.2 millimeters) (width)×6 inches (152.4 millimeters) (length). A constant-rate-of-extension type of tensile tester was employed. The tensile testing system was a Sintech Tensile Tester, which is available from MTS Corp. of Eden Prairie, Minn. The tensile tester was equipped with TESTWORKS 4.088 software from MTS Corporation to support the testing. An appropriate load cell was selected so that the tested value fell within the range of 10-90% of the full scale load. The sample was held between grips having a front and back face measuring 1 inch (25.4 millimeters)×3 inches (76 milimeters). The grip faces were rubberized, and the longer dimension of the grip was perpendicular to the direction of pull. The grip pressure was pneumatically maintained at a pressure of 60 to 80 pounds per square inch. The tensile test was run at a 20 inches per minute rate with a gauge length of 4 inches and a break sensitivity of 40%. Three samples were tested along the machine-direction (“MD”) and three samples were tested by along the cross direction (‘CD’). In addition, the ultimate tensile strength (“peak load”), and peak elongation was also recorded.

Martindale Abrasion:

This test can measure the relative resistance of a sample to abrasion according to Worldwide Strategic Partners (“WSP”) Standard Test No. 20.5 (08). A circular specimen of 165 mm±6.4 mm in diameter with an area of 18,258 sq mm is subjected to a requested number of cycles (10 or 60) with an abradant under a pressure of 9 kilopascals (kPa). The abradant is a 36 inch by 4 inch by 0.05 thick silicone rubber wheel reinforced with fiberglass having a rubber surface hardness 81 A Durometer, Shore A of 81±9. The specimen is examined for the presence of surface fuzzing (fiber lofting), pilling (small clumps of fibers), roping, delamination or holes and assigned a numerical rating of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 based on comparison to a set of standard photographs similarly numbered, with “1” showing the greatest wear and “5” the least. The test is carried out with a Martindale Wear and Abrasion Tester such as Model No. 103 or 403 from James H. Heal & Company, Ltd. of West Yorkshire, England.

Cup Crush Softness:

The softness of a sample may also be measured according to the “cup crush” test according to WSP Standard Test No. 402.0 (09), which evaluates softness by measuring the peak load (‘cup crush load’) that is required for a hemi-spherically shaped foot (4.5 cm diameter) to crush a sample (23 cm×23 cm) into an inverted cup shape (approximately 6.5 cm diameter×6.5 cm tall) while the cup-shaped sample remains surrounded by a cylinder (approximately 6.5 cm diameter) to maintain uniform deformation. An average of 10 readings is used. The foot and cup are aligned to avoid contact between the cup walls and the foot which could affect the readings. The peak load is measured while the foot is descending at a rate of about 380 mm per minute and is measured in grams. The cup crush test also yields a value for the total energy required to crush a sample (the cup crush energy), which is the energy from the start of the test to the peak load point, i.e. the area under the curve formed by the load in grams on the one axis and the distance the foot travels in millimeters on the other. Cup crush energy is therefore reported in g*mm. Lower cup crush values indicate a softer material. One suitable device for measuring cup crush is a model FTD-G-500 load cell (500 gram range) available from the Schaevitz Company of Pennsauken, N.J.

Static and Dynamic Coefficient of Friction:

Coefficient of Friction testing may be performed in accordance with ASTM D 1894-08 using a high gloss smooth vinyl tile sliding surface. A sled, which has the test specimen attached thereto, may be pulled over a high gloss smooth vinyl tile surface. The test specimen and the vinyl tile surface are in surface-to-surface contact with each other. The coefficient of friction value is defined as the measure of the relative difficulty when the surface of the test specimen slid over the fixed vinyl tile surface. The “static” coefficient of friction is the highest instantaneous value obtained to begin movement between the surfaces and ‘dynamic’ coefficient of friction is the average of the values obtained during the 60 seconds of the test (6 inch travel distance). The testing apparatus may be a LAB MASTER Slip and Friction Model 32-90 with a model number 32-90-06 test sled; both of which are available from Testing Machines, Inc. of Islanda, N.Y., 11722, U.S.A.

The sled used for the testing may have a weight of 200 grams. Testing occurs in a room having a temperature of between about 22° C. and about 24° C., and a relative humidity of about 50%. The test material is mounted to the platen (table) had a length of about 305 millimeters and a width of about 102 to 127 millimeters using a double-sided tape. The test specimen has a length of about 100 millimeters and a width of about 63 millimeters. The sled is lowered by the test equipment before testing and positioned lightly onto the test material when the test was started to prevent any unnatural bond from developing. The length of the sled and the length the plane-mounted are parallel. The moving platen is then put in motion at a velocity of 6 inches per minute. The gauge takes readings and continues to do so for about 60 seconds (6 inches of travel). The gauge measures and stored the “static” value for the highest instantaneous coefficient of friction value obtained to begin the movement between the surfaces within the first inch of pull. The “dynamic” value is obtained and stored as the average of the values obtained during the 60 seconds of the test (6 inch travel distance).

The coefficient of friction evaluation was performed five times for each sample.

Example 1

A first polyolefin composition was formed that contained 100 wt. % of a LLDPE ethylene polymer and a second polyolefin composition was formed that contained 97.4 wt. % of a rigid propylene homopolymer, 2.5 wt. % of a ductile propylene homopolymer, and 0.1 wt. % of erucamide. The rigid propylene polymer was PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), which has a density of 0.9 g/cm³, melting temperature of about 165° C., and a tensile modulus of about 1300 to 2000 MPa. The ductile propylene polymer was L-MODU™ S901 (Idemitsu), which has a density of 0.87 g/cm³, melting temperature of 70° C., and a tensile modulus of 80 MPa. The first polyolefin composition was spun to form a first nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 194 kg/hr, melt temperature of 213° C., cabin pressure of 3000 bar, and process air temperature of 25° C. The second polyolefin composition was spun to form a second nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 199 kg/hr, melt temperature of 233° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The first and second nonwoven webs were then thermally bonded together between a calendar roll heated to 132° C. and an embossing roll heated to 114° C., wherein the nip pressure was 100 N/mm. The bond pattern covered 18.5% of the area of the surface of the composite. The resulting facing had a total basis weight of 14 gsm (each nonwoven web having a basis weight of about 7 gsm), and the fibers of both webs had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 2

A nonwoven facing was formed as described in Example 1, except that the first polyolefin composition was spun to form a first nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 195 kg/hr, melt temperature of 214° C., cabin pressure of 3000 bar, and process air temperature of 25° C. The second polyolefin composition was also spun to form a second nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 199 kg/hr, melt temperature of 232° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The resulting facing had a total basis weight of 16 gsm (each nonwoven web having a basis weight of about 8 gsm), and the fibers of both webs had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 3

A nonwoven facing was formed as described in Example 1, except that the first polyolefin composition was spun to form a first nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 195 kg/hr, melt temperature of 214° C., cabin pressure of 3000 bar, and process air temperature of 25° C. The second polyolefin composition was also spun to form a second nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 199 kg/hr, melt temperature of 239° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The first and second nonwoven webs were then thermally bonded together between a calendar roll heated to 130° C. and an embossing roll heated to 114° C., wherein the nip pressure was 100 N/mm. The bond pattern covered 18.5% of the area of the surface of the facing. The resulting facing had a total basis weight of 14 gsm (each nonwoven web having a basis weight of about 7 gsm), and the fibers of both webs had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 4

A nonwoven facing was formed as described in Example 1, except that the first polyolefin composition was spun to form a first nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 50 rpm, throughput of 194 kg/hr, melt temperature of 213° C., cabin pressure of 3000 bar, and process air temperature of 25° C. The second polyolefin composition was also spun to form a second nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 50 rpm, throughput of 199 kg/hr, melt temperature of 241° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The first and second nonwoven webs were then thermally bonded together between a calendar roll heated to 130° C. and an embossing roll heated to 111° C., wherein the nip pressure was 100 N/mm. The bond pattem covered 18.5% of the area of the surface of the facing. The resulting facing had a total basis weight of 16 gsm (each nonwoven web having a basis weight of about 8 gsm), and the fibers of both webs had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 5

A polyolefin composition was formed that contained 100 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil). The composition was spun to form a nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 199 kg/hr, melt temperature of 233° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The resulting nonwoven web had a total basis weight of 18 gsm and the fibers had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 6

A polyolefin composition was formed that contained 95 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil) and 5 wt. % L-MODU™ S901 (Idemitsu). The composition was spun to form a nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 61 rpm, throughput of 221 kg/hr, melt temperature of 228° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The resulting nonwoven web had a total basis weight of 15 gsm and the fibers had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 7

A polyolefin composition was formed that contained 94.8 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 5 wt. % L-MODU™ S901 (Idemitsu), and 0.2 wt. % erucamide. The composition was spun to form a nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 55 rpm, throughput of 199 kg/hr, melt temperature of 233° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The resulting nonwoven web had a total basis weight of 15 gsm and the fibers had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

Example 8

A polyolefin composition was formed that contained 94.8 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 5 wt. % L-MODU™ S901 (Idemitsu), and 0.2 wt. % erucamide. The composition was spun to form a nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 61 rpm, throughput of 221 kg/hr, melt temperature of 228° C., cabin pressure of 4400 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The resulting nonwoven web had a total basis weight of 18 gsm and the fibers had an average size of about 1.5 μm.

The abrasion resistance (Martindale), softness (Cup Crush, Coefficient of Friction), and tensile properties (Peak Load and Elongation) of the samples formed according to Examples 1-8 were then tested as described above. The results are set forth in Tables 1-4 below.

TABLE 1 Martindale Abrasion Resistance Abrasion 10 cycles @ 9 kPa Abrasion 60 cycles @ 9 kPa Example Rating No. Std. Deviation Rating No. Std. Deviation 1 3 1 1 0 2 4 0 1 0 3 4 0 1 0 4 4 1 1 0 5 5 1 1 1 6 5 1 1 1 7 5 0 2 1 8 5 0 3 1

TABLE 2 Cup Crush Softness Cup Crush Peak Load (gf) Total energy (gf * mm) Example Avg. Std. Dev. Avg. Std. Dev. 1 32.78 4.91 631.86 47.05 2 39.13 4.78 740.51 57.26 3 35.68 5.59 691.40 66.48 4 46.75 3.45 955.65 58.80 5 140.37 19.74 2978.15 190.34 6 120.92 8.09 2530.06 46.76 7 68.49 6.34 1335.93 121.87 8 102.66 20.42 2358.88 351.29

TABLE 3 Coefficient of Friction MD CD Static Dynamic Static Dynamic Std. Std. Std. Std. Ex. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. 1 0.886 0.023 0.860 0.035 0.780 0.032 0.761 0.032 2 0.763 0.021 0.731 0.038 0.754 0.078 0.705 0.042 3 0.932 0.102 0.878 0.080 0.763 0.066 0.765 0.049 4 0.880 0.054 0.845 0.058 0.748 0.044 0.731 0.039 5 0.514 0.021 0.422 0.017 0.482 0.022 0.438 0.021 6 0.584 0.043 0.519 0.029 0.532 0.042 0.468 0.022 7 0.599 0.039 0.520 0.044 0.551 0.031 0.505 0.025 8 0.670 0.069 0.558 0.059 0.564 0.025 0.504 0.034

TABLE 4 Tensile Properties MD CD Peak Elon- Peak Elon- Peak Load (gf) gation (%) Peak Load (gf) gation (%) Std. Std. Std. Std. Ex. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. 1 2034.52 166.99 22.6 2.6 766.62 59.94 37.5 3.0 2 2162.19 43.92 23.0 1.7 726.43 92.60 35.1 5.8 3 2153.20 76.85 23.7 2.5 846.85 117.56 40.0 4.2 4 2349.81 87.96 22.0 1.9 904.07 79.54 38.5 3.5 5 3610.35 558.49 25.8 3.6 1603.00 207.33 40.2 6.6 6 4284.49 157.77 34.7 4.0 1587.11 107.75 47.6 4.0 7 4284.42 427.21 36.6 3.3 1524.36 39.35 44.7 5.1 8 5349.72 369.89 35.3 2.8 1963.74 190.26 45.8 3.0

Example 9

A first polyolefin composition was formed that contained 100 wt. % of a LLDPE polymer and a second polyolefin composition was formed that contained 93 wt. % PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 5 wt. % L-MODU™ S901 (Idemitsu), and 2 wt. % of a mixture of erucamide and titanium dioxide. The first polyolefin composition was spun to form a first nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 52 rpm, throughput of 202 kg/hr, melt temperature of 210° C., cabin pressure of 0.028 bar, and process air temperature of 25° C. The second polyolefin composition was spun to form a second nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 49 rpm, throughput of 195 kg/hr, melt temperature of 250° C., cabin pressure of 0.05 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The first and second nonwoven webs were then thermally bonded together between a calendar roll heated to 128° C. (PE-side) and an embossing roll heated to 132° C. (PP-side), wherein the nip pressure was 100 N/mm. The bond pattern covered 18% of the area of the surface of the composite. The resulting composite had a total basis weight of 17.2 gsm (each nonwoven web having a basis weight of about 8.6 gsm), and the fibers of both webs had an average size of about 1.7 μm.

Example 10

A nonwoven composite was formed as described in Example 9, except that a third nonwoven web was employed so that the second nonwoven web was positioned between the first and third nonwoven webs. The third nonwoven web was formed from the same polyolefin composition as the first nonwoven web. The webs were then thermally bonded together between a calendar roll heated to 135° C. and an embossing roll heated to 140° C., wherein the nip pressure was 100 N/mm. The bond pattern covered 18% of the area of the surface of the composite. The resulting composite had a total basis weight of 17.6 gsm (each nonwoven web having a basis weight of about 8.8 gsm), and the fibers of both webs had an average size of about 1.6 μm.

The abrasion resistance (Martindale), softness (Cup Crush, Coefficient of Friction), and tensile properties (Peak Load and Elongation) of the samples formed according to Examples 9-10 were then tested as described above. The results are set forth in Tables 5-8 below.

TABLE 5 Martindale Abrasion Resistance Abrasion 10 cycles @ 9 kPa Abrasion 60 cycles @ 9 kPa Example Rating No. Std. Deviation Rating No. Std. Deviation 9 4 0 1 0 10 4 0 1 0

TABLE 6 Cup Crush Softness Cup Crush Peak Load (gf) Total energy (gf * mm) Example Avg. Std. Dev. Avg. Std. Dev. 9 105.07 7.87 1921.73 151.13 10 105.01 10.11 1996.35 81.04

TABLE 7 Coefficient of Friction MD CD Ex- Static Dynamic Static Dynamic am- Std. Std. Std. Std. ple Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. 9 0.609 0.015 0.579 0.010 0.615 0.025 0.605 0.019 10 0.730 0.036 0.773 0.024 0.710 0.038 0.747 0.035

TABLE 8 Tensile Properties MD CD Peak Elon- Peak Elon- Ex- Peak Load (gf) gation (%) Peak Load (gf) gation (%) am- Std. Std. Std. Std. ple Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. 9 2681.28 102.95 23.1 1.7 1181.63 78.54 37.9 7.5 10 3374.30 368.88 24.0 2.7 1499.21 189.10 35.8 3.1

Example 11

A polyolefin composition was formed that contained 88 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 5 wt. % of L-MODU™ S400 (Idemitsu), 5 w. % of Exxon Vistamaxx™ 7050 and 2 wt. % of erucamide. L-MODU™ S400 (Idemitsu) has a density of 0.87 g/cm³, melting temperature of 70° C., tensile modulus of 80 MPa, and a melt flow rate of 2,000 g/10 min (230° C., 2.16 kg). The polyolefin composition was spun to form a nonwoven web using the following conditions: pump speed of 13.7 rpm, throughput of 100 kg/hr, melt temperature of 225° C., (FDU) Fiber Drawing Unit pressure of 0.50 bar, and process air temperature of 20° C. The resulting nonwoven web had a total basis weight of 15 gsm.

Example 12

A nonwoven web was formed as described in Example 11, except that the polyolefin composition was 88 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 5 wt. % of L-MODU™ 8400 (Idemitsu), 5 w. % of Vistamaxx™ 2330 and 2 wt. % of erucamide.

Example 13

A nonwoven web was formed as described in Example 11, except that the polyolefin composition was 88 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 10 wt. % of L-MODU™ S400 (Idemitsu), and 2 wt. % of erucamide.

Example 14

A nonwoven web was formed as described in Example 11, except that the polyolefin composition was 93 wt. % of PP 3155 (Exxonmobil), 5 wt % of L-MODU™ S400 (Idemitsu), and 2 wt. % of erucamide.

The abrasion resistance (Martindale), softness (Cup Crush), and tensile properties (Peak Load and Elongation) of the samples formed according to Examples 11-14 were then tested as described above. The results are set forth in Tables 9-11 below.

TABLE 9 Martindale Abrasion Resistance Abrasion 10 cycles @ 9 kPa Example Rating No. Std. Deviation 11 5 1 12 5 1 13 5 0 14 5 0

TABLE 10 Cup Crush Softness Cup Crush Peak Load (gf) Total energy (gf * mm) Example Avg. Std. Dev. Avg. Std. Dev. 11 56.45 3.10 1019.22 89.98 12 58.64 4.14 1085.34 64.48 13 73.44 9.84 1384.63 158.82 14 107.64 7.51 2001.86 118.44

TABLE 11 Tensile Properties MD CD Peak Elon- Peak Elon- Ex- Peak Load (gf) gation (%) Peak Load (gf) gation (%) am- Std. Std. Std. Std. ple Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. Avg. Dev. 11 3808.90 357.22 37.7 3.8 1324.76 84.62 46.0 7.9 12 3249.10 149.59 31.0 1.7 1527.03 197.30 44.1 4.9 13 3401.39 107.44 32.7 1.1 1526.31 162.23 47.4 5.0 14 4175.17 276.63 43.7 4.0 2043.65 136.09 51.6 1.6

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to the specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present Invention should be assessed as that of the appended claims and any equivalents thereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An absorbent article having an outwardly body-facing surface and an outwardly garment-facing surface, the article comprising: a topsheet; a backsheet that contains a nonwoven facing laminated to a film, wherein the nonwoven facing contains a first nonwoven web containing a plurality of fibers formed from a first polyolefin composition and a second nonwoven web containing a plurality of fibers formed from a second polyolefin composition, wherein the first polyolefin composition contains at least one ethylene polymer and the second polyolefin composition contains at least one rigid propylene polymer and at least one ductile propylene polymer, the second nonwoven web defining the garment-facing surface of the article; and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet.
 2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first polyolefin composition has a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 145° C.
 3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the ethylene polymer is linear low density polyethylene.
 4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the rigid propylene polymer has a modulus of elasticity of from about 800 to about 4,000 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10.
 5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the rigid propylene polymer is an isotactic homopolymer.
 6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the rigid propylene polymer constitutes from about 80 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. % of the second polyolefin composition.
 7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the modulus of elasticity of the ductile polymer is from about 1 to about 500 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM 0638-10.
 8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the rigid propylene polymer to the modulus of elasticity of the ductile propylene polymer is from about 1 to about 50, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10.
 9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the ductile polymer has a melting temperature of from about 40° C. to about 120° C. and/or degree of crystalinity of from about 1% to about 35%, as determined using differential scanning calorimetry in accordance with ASTM D-3417.
 10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the ductile polymer is a metallocene-catalyzed homopolymer.
 11. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the width at the half height of the endothermic peak of the second polyolefin composition is about 5° C. or more, as determined using differential scanning calorimetry in accordance with ASTM D-3417.
 12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the ductile propylene polymer constitutes from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of the second polyolefin composition.
 13. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the second polyolefin composition further comprises a fatty acid derivative.
 14. The absorbent article of claim 13, wherein the weight ratio of the ductile polymer to the fatty acid derivative in the second polyolefin composition is from about 2 to about
 60. 15. The absorbent article of claim 13, wherein the fatty acid derivative is a fatty acid amide, such as erucamide, oleamide, or a combination thereof.
 16. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first nonwoven web, the second nonwoven web, or both are a spunbond web.
 17. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first nonwoven web constitutes from about 20 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the facing and the second nonwoven web constitutes from about 20 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the facing.
 18. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first nonwoven web is positioned adjacent to the second nonwoven web.
 19. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the film is liquid-impermeable and optionally vapor-permeable.
 20. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the topsheet defines the body-facing surface of the article and/or the topsheet includes a nonwoven web, apertured film, or a combination thereof. 